The Rat Hole Squadron (1862)

Source: The Polynesian. Honolulu: Saturday, April 5, 1862

The fleet is comprised of old whalers, which have been purchased by the Government for the purpose of effectively blockading the Southern ports.

Among them is true old ship Corea, whose history is well worthy of record here. She was formerly an armed store-ship belonging to the British navy. During the Revolutionary war she came overloaded with supplies for the British army. A storm coming on, she sought shelter in Long Island Sound. It became known to the Yankee fishermen that she was in their waters, and they determined to capture her. 

Accordingly they formed a company of nearly one hundred stout-hearted and hardy men, and put out into the Sound. Shortly after leaving New Bedford harbor they discovered the Britisher in the distance. All hands, save an elderly man and three men and one boy went into the little fishing schooner's hold, all well armed. 

On the little fishing crafty stood until she reached the fishing ground, when they threw out their lines and were soon engaged in catching fish. The store-ship altered her course  and ran down toward the fisherman and fired a gun, and the Yankee boys headed their vessel toward the ship. 

As soon as she came within hail they were ordered to come alongside, which they did after some murmuring. The fish which had been taken were transferred to the deck of the store-ship, and carried over to the other side of the vessel, away from the side were the schooner lay. Curiosity prompted the British sailors to crowd around the fishermen weigh their fish.

In the mean time one of the boys took a fish and threw it out one of the ports, and it striking the schooner's deck gave the signal for the men in the hold to come up. This was but the work of a moment, and before the Britisher could arm his crew or recover from the surprise his ship was a prize. 

The ship was taken into New Bedford, where she was discharged of her stores, and when the war was over she was converted into a whaler, and she has been employed in that business from that time to within a year past. She now goes to assist in sealing up one of the the Southern ports. The Corea was a very fast sailer, and has been ordinarily a very lucky ship. But now her sailing days are over, and she will find a white sandy bed on which to lie until broken up by strong waves of old ocean. -Harper's Weekly.